


These Calloused Hands

by thekingslover



Category: The Old Guard (Movie 2020)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Royalty, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arranged Marriage, Fluff, Forbidden Love, Insecurity, M/M, Running Away, not historically accurate, prince joe, stablehand nicky
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-10-17
Updated: 2020-10-17
Packaged: 2021-03-08 20:53:43
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,113
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27052960
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/thekingslover/pseuds/thekingslover
Summary: It’s simultaneously the best and worst day of Nicolo’s life.The best because he, a no-one and nothing palace stable hand, has his arms around the prince, with the prince’s kiss insistent on his lips. The prince who just told him that he loves him with all his heart and soul.The worst because this is the last night for them to be this free. Tomorrow, Prince Yusuf, Nicolo’s heart, is set to marry Prince Stephen from a faraway island kingdom.
Relationships: Joe | Yusuf Al-Kaysani/Nicky | Nicolò di Genova
Comments: 25
Kudos: 457





	These Calloused Hands

**Author's Note:**

> Originally posted on my nickyjoe tumblr sideblog, monicashipsnickyjoe

It’s simultaneously the best and worst day of Nicolo’s life. 

The best because he, a no-one and nothing palace stable hand, has his arms around the prince, with the prince’s kiss insistent on his lips. The prince who just told him that he loves him with all his heart and soul.

The worst because this is the last night for them to be this free. Tomorrow, Prince Yusuf, Nicolo’s heart, is set to marry Prince Stephen from a faraway island kingdom.

Nicolo hates Prince Stephen for this alone. That he insists on moving Yusuf back to his island kingdom home makes that hatred burn hot enough to spark flame.

After tonight, Nicolo and Yusuf will not only never have _this_ again, they’ll likely never set eyes on each other at all.

“I cannot lose you,” Yusuf whispers against Nicolo’s lips. His fingers tremble on Nicolo’s shoulders. They haven’t done that since the first time, when, after months of shy glances, Nicolo dared to take Yusuf’s hand and kiss his fingers. Yusuf, watching him, kissed Nicolo’s shoulder. Nicolo, emboldened by Yusuf, kissed his neck. Yusuf, so close, kissed Nicolo’s chin. Nicolo forfeited whatever game they were playing and kissed Yusuf on the mouth. Yusuf smiled so wide, Nicolo had to kiss him twice.

Nicolo kisses Yusuf softly now, at the corner of his mouth, to try and chase away the frown. “We always knew this couldn’t last.”

“Did we?”

Nicolo closes his eyes tight. “Don’t tease me, Yusuf. Not now. Please.”

Yusuf does not take mercy. “Did you not dream it too?”

“Of course I did.” Nicolo smiles for a moment, imagining. It is not a happy smile. “Could you believe it? Me, walking into the throne room, covered in horse shit, demanding of the King that I marry his son.” By the end, Nicolo’s not smiling at all.

“Don’t talk like that.”

“It’s true.” Even now, Nicolo is dirty. Far too dirty to embrace a prince. Yusuf’s fine threads are surely soiled. Yet Nicolo is also too selfish to let go. “He’d have me under an axe in an hour.”

Those fingers on Nicolo’s shoulder tighten, gripping Nicolo’s shirt. “I would never allow that.”

Yusuf is sweetly protective, but…“He’s the King,” Nicolo says.

Yusuf kisses across Nicolo’s cheek to his ear. “He would have to kill us both.”

The thought of an axe anywhere near Yusuf’s neck has Nicolo’s muscles tensing, and he holds Yusuf even closer to him than before.

“You underestimate your value to me,” Yusuf whispers. “Did I not tell you tonight that I love you?”

“You have.”

“Do you doubt your prince?”

Nicolo leans back to look into Yusuf’s face. He sees love there, shining in those soft brown eyes, and something else. Something like determination, small and fragile but growing stronger. His fingers aren’t shaking anymore.

“Never,” Nicolo says.

“Good.” Yusuf takes Nicolo’s face in his hands and kisses him. “Then you will not doubt my plan.”

Nicolo’s aching heart starts beating again. “Your plan?” He doesn’t dare hope that -

“Have two horses ready by the castle gates. The fastest we have.”

“Yusuf.” He can’t mean to -

“I will join you at midnight and we will ride from this place.”

“ _Yusuf_ ,” Nicolo says again, stronger.

Yusuf peppers kisses on his face. It’s a distraction that Nicolo almost falls for - Yusuf’s lips are so soft and his hands are so gentle. But - _no_.

Nicolo takes Yusuf’s wrists in his hands. He hasn’t the heart to move them away so he squeezes instead, until Yusuf stills in his onslaught of affection.

“If you do this,” Nicolo says, each word venom in his mouth, “you will regret it.” Yusuf shakes his head, but Nicolo continues before he can say anything. “You will not have any of the luxuries -”

“I do not need _things_ ,” Yusuf says, frowning.

Nicolo doesn’t know how to make him understand. “I cannot offer you anything, Yusuf. Only these two calloused hands.” He runs his thumbs over the bones of Yusuf’s wrists. 

Yusuf pulls away enough to kiss Nicolo’s fingers. “I love these hands.”

“But, Yusuf.”

“Do I not also have your heart, Nicolo?”

Nicolo stills. While Yusuf has confessed his love, Nicolo has not. He’d been too overwhelmed with feeling earlier, and tackled Yusuf with kisses. 

“My heart bleeds love for you and you alone,” Nicolo tells him. “If you were to leave tomorrow for the island kingdom, you would take it with you. You would take all that I have.”

Yusuf rests their foreheads together. “What else would I ever need.”

* 

Nicolo knows Yusuf will regret this, in time, but he cannot stop the hope rooted deep in him that whispers, _maybe not_. So he steals the fastest horses. He waits at midnight by the gate.

Yusuf meets him with a small sack of clothes and flurry of kisses.

Together, they disappear into the night.

*

They travel to a far edge of the kingdom and find work on a farm. It’s hard labor, and Yusuf’s soft hands are blistered more than they are not.

Yusuf’s smile never leaves him. 

Nicolo still worries.

*

A week passes, then two. Then a month, then six.

Yusuf’s hands build callouses. Some nights, he’s nervous when he reaches for Nicolo. His hands hover over Nicolo’s shoulders without touching. At times, during dinner, he halfway starts for Nicolo’s hand but pulls back. Instead, Nicolo becomes the one to close the distance.

“I’m sorry,” Yusuf says once in the quiet of night. “My touch must feel differently.”

Nicolo turns from where he’s laying, back to Yusuf’s front, and peers up at him in the dark. “How do you mean?” Nicolo’s heart is a heavy weight. Has Yusuf finally begun to regret?

Yusuf lifts one of his own hands and glares at his palm. “My hands are not as soft as they once were. Perhaps…” His gaze drops to the blankets. “Perhaps you will no longer enjoy my touch.”

Nicolo takes Yusuf’s hand in both of his and brings it to his cheek. He leans into the warmth. Yusuf’s skin is rougher than before, but no less full of love. And the slight catch and drag is not unpleasant. The opposite, in fact.

“I love it,” Nicolo says, and rolls onto Yusuf, to prove it to him - several times, throughout the night.

“I love you,” Nicolo says when they’re done. When Yusuf’s wearing an easy smile, and both their bodies are liquid.

“Love isn’t a big enough word,” Yusuf says.

“My heart,” Nicolo tries, emphasizing each attempt with a kiss. “My home. My everything.”

“Better,” Yusuf tells him, and Nicolo laughs. 

The weight lifts, and Nicolo lets himself believe, Yusuf intends to stay.

**Author's Note:**

> Thank you for reading :)


End file.
